subverting spectacle through spectacle: "The Wall" vs "Zoo TV"

Interesting article in The Tablet about Roger Waters and "The Wall"

You can’t be a rock star obsessed with power and spectacle, stage a show about a rock star obsessed with power and spectacle, and expect people to see it as a blistering critique of rock stars obsessed with power and spectacle (link)

Read, and then weigh in:

 Is it true that "the Wall" doesn't really work for that reason?

And why DID  (or did it?) U2's "Zoo TV" era work as a prophetic critique (Bono often tipped his hand and hat as to what they were doing:"mock the devil and he will flee)"?

Is humor half the difference?